Max Verstappen’s start to the 2026 F1 season has caused a lot of headlines. Unfortunately, most of those headlines are a result of what the driver has been saying off track instead of what he’s achieving on it.

The driver doesn’t like the 2026 F1 cars. If there has ever been someone who has made his displeasure known about these cars, then it is Max Verstappen. The driver is not a fan whatsoever of how limited the scope is of what anyone can do in these machines.

To make things worse, the start to the season has been a far cry from the standards at which the driver has often operated. After two races in the season, the Red Bull driver is currently 8th in the championship standings, and any talks of title contention can be swept away mockingly.

While all of that is true, at this moment, Max Verstappen is the closest he’s ever been to calling time on his Red Bull stint.

Where Red Bull stands after 2 races

After 2 races this season, Red Bull is arguably the 4th fastest team at the moment. The car is decent, and so is the power unit. Unfortunately for the outfit, the power unit is just unable to last the entire race most of the time.

Overall, though, it might not be a far cry to assume that the car is currently a second off the benchmark, which is Mercedes.

According to Laurent Mekies, the deficit is 50% on both sides, which means both the car and the power unit have some catching up to do at this point.

Realistic expectations

Looking at the gap, it is safe to say that the power unit would fall under ADUO, and hence, performance improvements can be implemented, and upgrades can be brought.

While that is the case, it is also important to understand that Mercedes or other rivals, including Ferrari and McLaren, are not just going to sit tight and not make progress.

This does mean that, at least for 2026, a title charge is something that appears to be a bit of a far-fetched dream.

Max Verstappen hates the 2026 cars, and he hates losing even more

This is precisely where Max Verstappen comes into the picture. The Dutch driver has been quite straightforward when it comes to his approach to his career. He’s not someone who’s going to spend years working on a project that ultimately comes good.

For him, it is all about positioning himself in a car with which he can win. Red Bull is currently a project that could come good in the long run, and it’s far-fetched to assume that the team can take many shortcuts to the top.

This is precisely what makes Max Verstappen and Red Bull an incompatible marriage, and also why the partnership might be near its end.

His exit clause

This is also where the exit clause becomes a key point. It is being reported that Max Verstappen’s current contract has an exit clause. According to the clause, the Dutch driver will be free to move on from the team if he’s not within the top 2 in the championship at a certain checkpoint race in the season.

Looking at the state of the pecking order and where the Red Bull car is at the moment, Max Verstappen is going to find it hard to be within the top 2 at any stage in 2026.

If that is the case, then the door is open for the driver to pack his bags and take his services somewhere else.

Toto Wolff or even the “R” word

This is where what has happened in 2024 and 2025 provides valuable context. Toto Wolff more or less rolled out the red carpet for the driver in both seasons, and if he wanted, the seat was always there for him. Wolff’s actions have often indicated that he still feels he missed out on the Dutch driver when Max Verstappen picked Red Bull over Mercedes in 2014.

In the current scenario, if Max Verstappen does reach out to Toto Wolff, it will not be a straightforward decision in any which way. Would the Austrian be willing to replace the harmonious partnership of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli to bring the Dutch driver?

If his recent interview is anything to go by, the answer is no. But one cannot rule it out whatsoever. For Verstappen, going to the fastest car would be an appealing option, but he could potentially lack the motivation to compete in F1 anymore with the way the regulations are at this point, and call time on his career altogether.

Either way, the ball would be in Verstappen’s court, and one thing is for sure, a driver who hates the current set of regulations would not be too interested in spending years on a project that might come good ultimately.

Which is precisely why we might be closer than ever to the end of the Red Bull-Max Verstappen partnership.